Coal-mining machine



July 13 1926.

c, E. wAxBoM v com.v MINING MACHINE- Filed Deo. 27, 192:5v s sheets-Shen i OO oo SN I ,A www le, WWMTraK/VE )f5 July 13 1926.

- 1,592,687 c. E. wAxBoM @NAL MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi1edpeo-72'7, 1923 July- 13, 1926. 1,592,687

, c. E. wAxBOM om. MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27. 1925 s Sheets-sheet 5 Patented `uly 13,1 1926.V

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLEsE. WAXBOM, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, AssreNOn TO Tnn JEFFREY MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

COAL-MINING MACHINE.

Application filed December 27, 1923. Serial No. 683,001.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coal mining machines, and especially to that class of mining machines in which each is provided 5 with track wheelsadapted tov travel over the tracks of the mine jandis adapted to perform its cutting Operations while supported on said track wheels. l

The especial object of this invention is to 2u provide a machine of the class described having improved power connections between thefmotor and the track wheels whereby the machine is adapted to be propelled along the tracks of the mine while the cutting element 15 is in any of its various positions of adjust-.-

n In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated amachinek embodying my invention,'but it isr to be borne in mind that I do 2c not limit myselfy to the construction here shown, as there are many modilications which may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Of the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a general plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. y1. y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional vie '40 taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line ll-4 of FiO. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5?-5 of Fig. 2. :t: F 6 is a plan view of the machine with the upper parts broken away to disclose the wheels and axles.

Lilie numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures;

This machine is mounted upon a truck frame l having journal bearings 2 in which are journaled the axles 3 and fi, and to the aides are fixed the track wheels 5 adapted to travel over the rails 6 of the mine tracks. er At the rear of the truck I preferably provide a step 7, and a cable reel '8, which may be of any preferred construction, is usually provided upon which may be wound the electric conductor cable 9, through which so the power is supplied to actuatethe machine.

Securely attached to the truck platform, arranged in an equilateral triangle7 are'three upstanding studs l() upon the surface of dll .55 which are formed screw threads. `Each ofk thereto.

these studs is fitted with two nuts 11 which have beveled surfaces, and are provided with spaced about this ring are three depending brachets 14:, each comprising two parallel si le bars l5 at the rlower end of which are formed a horizontal yoke 16 having an aperture adapted to receive one'of the studs l0.

rl'he nuts Il are positioned one above the l other below the horizontal yoke on each of the studs and the apertures in the yokes are large enough to admit of a certain amount of lateral movement of the yokes relative to the studs. lt will be seen that by proper adjustment of the nuts Il the brackets 14 with the ring 13 may be raised and lowered to adjust tit to ay desired elevation relative to the truck, and maybe locked in such position by the tightening of the upper nuts against the yoke.

The operative parts of the machine are mounted upon a main frame casting 17 vwhich rests directly upon the topk of the I ring 13 and is adapted to rotate relatively A series 'of rollers 18 rotatably mounted upon the underside of this frame 4casting 17 and adapted to enga-ge the inner surface ofthe ring 13, serve to guide the frame casting in its rotation. A series of brackets or clips 19, attached to the under side of the frame casting 17, engage the under side of the ring 13* to prevent upward movement of the frame relative to the ring. A series of notches 2O formed on 'the edge of the frame casting are adapted to be en gaged by the latch 9.1 which is slidable in the bearing casting 22 attached to the ring ll, to hold the frame in any desired angular position. Yilhen the latch 2l is in its lower position it is disengaged from the notches t2() 'and the frame, with its attached mechanism? is free to turn upon the ring. lrleans for holding the latch in either its upper or lower position is provided in the pin 23 adapted to beinserted in the holes 2li and 25 ,ofthe bea-ring casting 22.

Supported fromy the under side of the frame casting 17 .isan electric motor 26 the armature shaft 27 of'whichis providedfwith= a spur vpinion 28 in mesh with the spur gear 29.` This spur gear is attached to a sleeve lll) yno

keyed to the driving shaft 31 and rotatably supported in the jouinal bearing 32 formed' on the frame casting 17. Art the inner end of the sleeve 5() is formed a frange having apertures througlr which ei:- tend the pinsV of apin chitchimember 3G which is slidable upon the surface of the sleeve 30. A second sleeve 37 is'rotatably mounted upon the shaft 31 and on the end of this sleeve adjacent tlie'fian'ge is formed a similar flange 381L having notches adapted to engage' thel pin of the clutch to drive the sleeve 37. Formed onk the sleeve 37 is a worin 3S by which power is transmitted to the track'wheels to propel the truck as will be hereinafter set forth.

Rotatable upon the shaft 31 is a bevel gear. 3`9"having an elongated hub 40 on the surface of' which is formed a journal'rotatably supported in a journal bearing 41 formed' on the frame casting. Formed on the outer end of the hub is a jaw clutch member 42 adapted to `engage with a similarl jaw clutch member 43' slidable upon the feather key 44 of the shaft 31. By this clutch arrangement the bevel gear 39 may be operatively connected'with the shaft 31 and through the gear 29`witli the motor QG. A thrust collar 45 is provided to prevent the clutch member 43 from sliding off the end of the shaft 31; Suitable ball bearings 46 are interposed between the sleeves 30, 37 and 40 to take the thrust of the worm 3S.

The bevel gear 39 engages with a complementary gear 47 attached to the lower end of a vertical shaft 48` journaled in a suitable bearing 49 of the frame castingl. At the upper end of the shaft 48v is fixed a sprocket wheel 50 by which is driven the chain 51 of. the cutting mechanism. This cutting mechanism, is of the type comin0nlypused with mining machines of this class,

and comprises a chain supporting and guiding arm 52, extending horizontally from the frame casting 17, about the edges of which travels the cutter chain 51 to which are fixed the cutter bits 53. In the operation of such a mining machine the coal is cut by the moving bits 53 being forced against the coal by a horizontal movement of the cutter arm 52. This movement of the cutter arm is effected either by the rotation of the frame casting upon the ring13, or by the bodily movement of the machine upon the track wheels. Either of these movements may be accomplished by a feeding mechanism comprising a rope 54 adapted to be fastened at one end to a. suitable abutment, andto be Wound upon a. cable winding drum 55 mountedy upon the frame casting 17.y

The drum 55 is rotatable Yupon :a vertical shaft 56, journa-led in a, bearing 57.0f the frame casting 17, to which it may be connected by a multiple disk friction clutch, the disks 58 of which arecompressible by the hand wheel 59 screw threaded to the eX- tension (3() of the shaftV 56. To the lower end of the shaft 5G is liXed a worm geai (51 which is engaged by a worm 69. mounted upon a horizontal shaft 63 supported in suitable bearings of they frame casting 17. To this shaft 63 is fixed a ratchet wheel 64 at eitherside of which are rotatively mounted two ratchet levers 65 between which extends the pivot pin 66. The pin 66 carries a parwl 67 adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 54. rFliese iatcliet le vers are connected by the red 68 with the straps 69 ofthe eccentric 70 iiiied te and revolving' with the bevel gear 47. `By the rotation ofthis eccentric the ratchet lever G5 is caused. to oscillate, and, by the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel. the worin shaft is-rotated to cause the rotation of the feed drum to wind the rope 54.

hotatable about the ratchet wheel (54 Ais a shield 71, movable by the adjusting screwand adapted to engage the pawl (i7 to lift it from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. By the adjustment of the position of this shield the number of teeth oveiv which the pawl passes at each oscillation of the ratchet lever may be'controlled to *vary the rate of winding the rope 54, and the consequent rate of feeding the cut-ter into the coal. Mounted upon the frame casting 17 are a plurality of guide `sheaves 73 adapted t'o guide the feed rope 54 from the feed drum 55 to be led off from the machine in any desired direction.

`When it is desired to rotate the cutting element to cut the coal, the rope will be drawn out from the drum 55.y passed-around the guide sheaves 73 and its end attached to one ofthe lugs 74projecting from the bracket 14. The hand wheel 59 will then be manipulated to cause the winding. of the rope, and the adjusting screw 72 adjusted to regulate the rate of ,vinding `Whennow the motor is actuated the cutters will be fed into the coal te cut it.

It' it is desired to move the machine bodily along the track, to force the cuttingiiiechanism into the coal, in what is t-eiiiied the sumping cut, an anchor may be fixed in the coal face to which the ropes 54 mav be at tached, and upon .winding the rope the niacliiiie will be drawn toward the anchor. The rate at which the rope is wound, even 'at the highest rate attainable with the ratchet drive above described, while suitable for feeding the cutters into the coal, is entirely too slow forthe movement of the machinev from: oneworking place to another.` It is therefore necessary to provide other means for propelling the truck along the tracks of the mine vfrom placeto place.

noia this purpose I have provided the worm.38,vabovey described, which is in cngagement vvitlira Worm gear 75 fixed to the l Ut) upper end of a vertical shaft 76 supported for rotation in a journal bearing 77, of the frame casting 17, which is exactly concentric with the ring 13. The lower portion 78 of the shaft 77 is square and is slidable in a sleeve 79 journaled in a journal bearing 80 attached to the truck platform 1, to drive said sleeve, forming' a telescoping drive conu nection between the turntable and the truck. To the lower end of the sleeve 7 9 is fixed a bevel gear 81 engaging with a complementary gear 82 attached to a transverse shaft 83 supported in bearings 84 of the truck frame. A sprocket wheel 85 fixed to the shaft 83 transmits power to the axle 3 through the chain 86 and the sprocket wheel 87, and the two axles are connected together by the chain 88 and sprocketwheels 89 and 90.

The machine above described is particir larly adapted to cut a kerf in the mine wall in the plane of a band of impurities, and thereby prevent the mixing of the. impure coal with the material loaded for shipment from the mine, as such dirty bands are com monly more or less inclined from the general level of the vein, the adjusting nuts 11 on the different studs 10 must be adjusted to different heights to cause the inclination of the supporting ring 14 to correspond with the inclination of the plane of the impure band so that the cutter arm 52 may follow that band and remove it. If the shaft 76 were made rigid from end to end, such inclined adjustment would cause it to bind in the bearings 77 and 8O and thereby prevent its satisfactory operation. If the inclination were considerable the shaft 7 6 would be bent or the bearings 77 and 8O broken. To permit such angular adjustment of the cutting mechanism I have provided in the shaft 76 a flexible coupling 91, of the type known in the art as a universal joint, which is positioned in the transverse plane of the yolies 16, and consequently, is concentric with the supporting ring 13 and the truck bearing 80. By virtue of the flexibility of the driving connection thus provided, the truck wheels may be actuated `from the motor 26 when the cutting mechanism is in any position of vertical adjustment, regardless of its angular relation to the longitudinal lines or transverse planes of the mine track.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a wheel supported track guided truck, of a horizontally rotatable turntable positioned above said truck and adapted to vertical adjustment relative thereto, cutting mechanism projecting laterally from said turntable and adapted to engage the mine wall to cut a lierf therein, a motor mounted upon said turn table and arranged to actuate said cutting mechanism, and means operable when said turn table is in any position of vertical adjustment and regardless of the angular relation yof the cutting mechanism to the longitudinal lines or transverse plane of said track to connect the motor upon the turn table with the truck wheels to propel the machine along the mine track.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a wheel supported track guided truck, of a horizontally rotatable turn table positioned above said truck and adapted to vertical, adjustment relative thereto, cutting mechanism projecting laterally from said turntable and adapted to engage the mine wall to cut a kerf therein, a motor mounted upon said turn table arranged to actuate said cutting mechanism, a vertical telescoping shaft concentric with said turn table to transmit power from the motor upon the turntable to the truck wheels to propel the machine along the mine track, and a universal joint arranged in said vertical shaft to permit the adjustment of said turntable to planes inclined to the transverse planes of said mine track.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a truck, truck driving means, a horizontally rotatable turn table, vertically adjustable connections between said turn table and said truck, cutting mechanism projecting lfrom said turn table and adapted to engage a mine wall, a motor to drive said cutting mechanism, a vertical shaft connecting said motor with said truck driving means, and a universal joint in said shaft to permit the adjustment of said turn table to planes inclined to the horizontal.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a truck, truck driving means, a horizontally rotatable turn table, a plurality of vertically adjustable connections between said turn table and said truck, cutting mechanism projecting` from said turn table and adapted to engage a mine wall, a motor mounted on said turn table to drive said cutting mechanism, a vertical telescop my hand.

CHARLES E. IVAXBOM.

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